


Rainbows and Ivy

by TWDObsessive



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: 2020 election - Freeform, Animal Shelter, Chance Meetings, First Dates, First Meetings, Friendship, Getting up the nerve to ask a guy out, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pining, rescue dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:02:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28822653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWDObsessive/pseuds/TWDObsessive
Summary: A Rick and Daryl Meet-cute.  OR...The reason TWDObsessive hasn't been posting lately.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes
Comments: 12
Kudos: 65





	Rainbows and Ivy

**Author's Note:**

> I have been terribly distracted the last few months and wanted to explain why I haven't been writing or posting. So here it is!

**November 3rd**

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Come on, tell me, Daryl! You know you want to.”

“Don’t you have something to do, Tara? Are all the animals fed?”

“Yup.”

“Did you walk everyone?”

“Well, not the cats. But all the dogs are walked.”

“Cages all de-pooped?”

“Everyone is poop free, Captain,” Tara said with a salute. She leaned her elbows back on the counter. “So tell me.”

Leaning back in his chair, Daryl sighed as EyeInTheDark, his personal black cat, climbed up onto his lap as if he was just as interested in hearing about his day. Which he didn’t need to. Eye knew full well Daryl would tell him all about it that evening. 

“There’s nothing to tell. It’s voting day. I voted. The end.”

“It took you six hours,” Tara said as she grabbed a Twizzler from the jar they kept on the counter.

“It took everyone six hours. This is a record-breaking election or have you missed the news for the past four years?”

“Most people stand in line for six hours and come back annoyed or frustrated or pissed. You came back with a blush and a smile. A _smile_ , Daryl. You don’t smile. Something's up.”

Daryl fought like hell to keep from smiling, trying to hide behind his long bangs, and covering his mouth with his hand as he continued petting Eye. “I just...I...it was nice. Met someone in line and had a nice chat. That’s it,” he said finally.

Tara’s eyebrow went up suspiciously. “Was this someone a cute boy?”

Daryl rolled his eyes. “This someone was a nice looking man around my age. With nice eyes. And a friendly smile. And like, maybe he had these sexy curls in his too long hair. And well, you know I like a nice beard.”

Tara jumped up and down clapping. 

“Oh myyyy goodness! Daryl Dixon is taking a lover!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake! Calm down,” Daryl grunted. “I said hi to a man. Don’t get the confetti out yet.”

One of the dogs in the back barked. Then ten others barked as Daryl noticed a car pull into the lot.

“First of all - was he voting for the right guy?” Tara asked.

Daryl rolled his eyes. “All the sexy curls in the world wouldn’t make me want to date a Trumper.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“That’s a hell yes. He showed me the Biden T-shirt he had on under his coat,” Daryl said as he stood, the jingling of the bells above the door setting the dogs off again.

“Hi,” Tara said to the newcomers with her ever-present enthusiasm. “Welcome to Dixon and Chambler’s Animal Shelter and Training Facility. What brings you to visit us today?” 

Daryl stayed to cover the front desk as Tara walked the new potential adopters, Carol and her little girl Sophia, to the cat room. He was glad for the moment of reprieve and he smiled again at the thought of one Rick Grimes - Biden voter, divorcee, dog lover, hater of all things pumpkin flavored, binger of peanut M&Ms, wearer of jeans that fit just right, and believer in hope and change. In six hours he’d been able to learn a lot about the man. New to town. Just started with the sheriff’s department. Loved Christmas but hated Christmas music. Loved twinkle lights. Once had a pet pig as a child. Always wanted kids but never had one. Hell, Daryl knew about every damn thing there was to know except for the most important! Was he straight? He’d mentioned that his ex was a she, but he could be bi. He could just be coming out. He could be literally waiting for Daryl to call him. But the thing was, Daryl was too goddamn shy and nervous to ask for his number. 

So there he was, sitting in a shelter with his cat and imagining what it would be like to kiss those plump lips and run his hand down to those narrow hips. 

“I’m getting a kitty!!” little Sophia shouted as she came back into the front room, Tara carrying the crate with one of the orange tabby kittens they’d gotten a few weeks back.

“She’s so cute!” Daryl said excitedly. He loved to see pets and kids come together. “What are you going to name her?”

“She’s gonna be Buttons because she’s cute as a button!”

“That,” Daryl said sincerely, “is a perfect name.”

“She’s been wanting one forever,” Carol said as she signed the paperwork that Daryl put out. “Figured it’s time. Just in case we are in for another four years of hell, at least we’ll have a kitten to cuddle.” 

“I hear ya, sister,” Daryl said as he ran the credit card. “And you are making the right decision. Pets make everything more bearable, but, truth be told, I have a good feeling about the results. I don’t think you’ll need her to cry with. I think she’s gonna be your little good luck charm.”

Carol crossed her fingers and gave Daryl a nod. “Thank-you so much,” she said. “And you too, Tara!” 

They watched the new owners leave, Sophia jumping up and down in excitement. 

“This is why we don’t mind smelling dog shit all day,” Tara said wistfully.

**************************************

**Two Weeks Later**

“Why do you always look so sad?” Daryl asked.

The basset hound he had in the tub just responded with a head tilt and a whimper.

“You should be happy today, Eyeore. Your forever family will be here to pick you up in an hour!”

Eyeore wagged his tail, sloshing soapy water out of both sides of the tub. 

“That’s better. That’s a happy boy,’ Daryl said in the soft baby voice he used with all the animals. 

The bell above the front door jingled and a dozen dogs started barking and howling. Ahh, the sound of a soon-to-be-adopted pet. No one could leave a place like this without falling in love with at least one animal.

Tara popped her head in the back and looked at Daryl. 

“Is it the Raleigh's here to pick up Eyeore?”

“Noooo.” Tara said.

“Well, just take care of them, will ya? I’m up to my eyeballs in soap suds here.”

“I’m thinking….nooooo. Let me finish the pup and you go help the lovely stranger.”

Daryl cocked his head much like Eyore had, trying to understand why Tara was acting so weird.

“He’s a quite attractive man of your age range - curls, beard, batting his pretty blue eyes, and asking for one Daryl Dixon.”

Daryl let out an audible gasp. “It’s Rick?”

“That would be my guess, Romeo,” Tara said as she threw a dry towel to Daryl. “Dry off and get out there. I’ll finish up here and me and Eyore will do some recon.”

“Do some what?” Daryl asked.

“Shoo, shoo,” Tara said, swatting Daryl out of the back room. “Go be a good boy and take care of the customer.”

Daryl stopped to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. His flannel shirt was soaked and the pocket was ripped on one side. His hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed in a month and his jeans had paw-shaped dirt splotches all over it. Such was the life of a man who worked with animals. He shrugged at his own reflection and walked into the lobby. And there he was in all his glory.

Wearing those jeans tight and low on his hips. A brown button-up tucked in, curls brushed into place, beard nicely trimmed, and the prettiest damn smile on the planet.

“Rick Grimes,” Daryl said with a smile and reached out to shake hands. The officer’s skin was soft and warm and Daryl hated to let it go. “What brings you by here?”

“I’m in the market for a new best friend,” Rick said as he leaned on the counter next to EyeInTheDark and gave the cat a pat on the head.

Suddenly the front door swung open and Tara and Eeyore walked in. She must have gone out the back and come around to give the pup a bit of a walk.

“DARYL.” Tara said urgently. 

“With someone right now,” Daryl answered, attempting not to sound as annoyed and interrupted as he felt.

“I can wait,” Rick said as he sat down in one of the lobby chairs.

Tara watched Rick, her smile never leaving her face, as Eye jumped onto his lap. 

“I just needed to change the date here on our message board,” she said as she blocked Rick’s view of it and wiped yesterday’s date off with her sleeve. She peeked back at Rick to see him completely absorbed with the cat and quickly wrote _HE HAS A RAINBOW BUMPER STICKER!!_ on the board, winked at Daryl, then erased it.

Daryl would be the first one to admit that his own smile was lopsided and looked weird on his face. That’s why he rarely used it, but when Rick looked back up at him and saw it, the other man seemed to smile even wider. 

“A new best friend, huh?” Daryl asked with a bit more confidence. “Cat? Dog? I’m available for friendship, too, plus I come house-broken.” He said it all without thinking and immediately felt like the biggest dork ever. He’d never been the smooth pick-up line kinda guy. Plus, maybe the guy just liked fucking rainbows. It didn’t need to mean anything.

Rick burst out laughing, putting Daryl at ease right away. 

“I _am_ new in town,” Rick said. “I could use a new friend with two legs as well as one with four. I was thinking about a Boxer. Maybe a Pit or some kind of Lab mix? Maybe a cuddly one that I could bring on my morning jogs, but also curl up on the couch with?”

“We have some great candidates back here,” Daryl said with a nod towards the dog room. Rick fell right into step behind him, as did Eye.

“This your cat?” Rick asked as he stopped, squatted, and rubbed the ears of the little black feline. 

“Yeah. He’s pretty much second-in-charge here,” Daryl said as he leaned against the door watching the sexiest man he’d ever seen kiss Eye on the forehead as he scratched his back. “Don’t tell Tara that, though.”

When they walked into the dog room the place erupted with howls and barks. Rick looked down, amazed at Eye still there right by their feet. “This doesn't scare him?”

“Only thing he’s scared of is Republicans,” Daryl said with a chuckle as he started walking down one of the aisles of cages, passing by a Chihuahua and a Great Dane. Rick followed behind them, saying hi to each of the animals. 

Stopping at the third cage, Daryl knelt down and fed a young black Lab pup a treat. “This here is Tabatha. Owner surrender. Apparently, a puppy was just too much work for them. She’s a sweetheart; just needs someone who can pay her a lot of attention and focus on training her. We have a few folks interested, but no one has filled out an application on her yet. Want to go in and visit her?”

Rick nodded. It was so evident that he was an animal lover and that just made him ten times hotter than he already was. Daryl opened the door and held Tabitha back as they both walked into the small caged area. Daryl sat down on the dirty floor as Rick squatted. Tabitha’s whole body was wiggling, tail slapping against Rick’s leg as she put her paws on his knee and licked at his face. 

“Hi, Tabitha. Tell me a little about yourself,” he coo’d. “Do you like long walks in the rain? Soft fluffy beds? How do you feel about cats?”

Daryl glanced through the cage door to see Eye sitting there watching the introduction. 

Focusing his attention back on the dog he said, “This little girl likes walking anytime, anywhere, under any circumstance. Once she tires herself out she’ll collapse on anything, doesn’t matter if it’s a well-worn couch or a concrete floor. And did you say cats? You planning on getting one of those, too?” Daryl loved dogs. Loved them. But he always had a special place in his heart for cats. He got them. He totally understood wanting affection, but only on your terms, the need for quiet time, their general suspicion and hesitancy to get close.”

“Not today,” Rick said as he looked Daryl in the eyes. “But what if one day I end up with one. Like, meet someone who has a cat and fall madly in love with him and he moves in with me. I’d need Tabitha to be cool about it.”

“Him, huh?” Daryl said blushing. “That why you ain’t married no more?”

Tabitha turned to Daryl as if she finally just noticed he was in there too, and she crawled into his lap, sticking her nose into Daryl’s torn flannel pocket in search of another treat.

Rick smiled coyly and didn’t answer. He just reached over to pat Tabitha’s head again. “You know, I don't’ think I’d have enough time to give her the attention she needs. I live alone and I work full-time. I’d be able to swing by to let her out on lunch breaks, but I think this one needs a little more than that.”

Daryl nodded and stood. “You don’t need to worry about her. The puppies always get scooped up pretty quick.” He reached down to help Rick to his feet, and after they both bid Tabitha farewell, they left her cage. After visiting several more dogs and finding out that Rick loved Tom Petty, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and he’d once actually rescued a litter of cats from a sewer drain as a child, Daryl started planning a first date in his head. Walking Rick’s new dog in the park together. Getting hot dogs from the food truck. Licking the mustard off Rick’s plump lips. He shook his head and tried to regroup from the image of Rick’s hair mussed up from the breeze, cheeks tinged red from the autumn chill, and those damn jeans that fit him more perfectly than any other item of clothing had fit any other human being on the planet Earth in the history of the world. 

They came to the last cage in the row and there sat a blue Pitbull - short and stocky with a short snout and floppy ears. Not barking, not jumping up on the cage door. Just sitting and cocking her head when Rick squatted down outside her cage. “Who is this cutie pie?” he asked, clearly already quite smitten in just those few seconds of eye contact. 

Daryl opened the cage door and they both walked in, sitting shoulder to shoulder this time as the pup gave Rick one gentle lick on the chin, then promptly rolled over to get her belly rubbed.

“This here is Ivy. One of my favorites” Daryl said as he joined Rick in rubbing her belly. 

“She is an absolute sweetheart. What’s her story?” 

“Poor doll. She was found in the parking lot of a pizzeria. No chip. Underweight. The vet’s say she’s about three years old. She’s got a little anxiety but she already knows a ton of commands. Totally housebroken. Watch this...” 

Daryl stood and pulled a few treats out of his pocket, Ivy promptly getting into the sitting position. He squatted down and reached out a hand. “Paw”. Ivy obeyed and was given a treat. Standing back up, Daryl said “Down.” She promptly lowered to her belly and looked up expectantly. She still hadn’t barked once. Daryl gave her another treat. “You want to come take her for a walk?”

“Yeah,” Rick said enthusiastically. 

Daryl slipped out of the cage and grabbed a leash, returning to see Ivy sitting in Rick’s lap with both paws on his shoulders and just gazing at his eyes. He couldn’t blame her. He had gorgeous eyes.

Rick tilted his head. “Is she a little cross-eyed?” 

Daryl felt his defenses go up. If he was a cat all his hair would be standing on end. 

“Why? Are you prejudiced against the cross-eyed?” Shit, Daryl knew this guy was too good to be true. Wait till he found out how often Ivy farted. He definitely wouldn’t want her then. And the humping. She was spade, but if she spends too much time alone with a pillow, she was gonna show it who was boss. Daryl had caught her half a dozen times already.

Rick looked up and laughed and Ivy wagged her tail at the sound of it. It was a nice laugh. If Daryl had a tail he might be wagging it, too. 

“I think she’s precious. I have nothing against the cross-eyed.”

Daryl wiped his brow in relief. “Phew. Thought you might be an asshole for a minute there.”

Rick laughed again, flirtatiously. “Trying to find my flaws?”

As they walked out the back door with Ivy and she pulled them with all 50 pounds of her Pitbull strength, Daryl decided to put all Ivy’s cards on the table. “Don’t lead Ivy on. She falls in love easily and if you love all over her and leave she’ll be so depressed.” He may or may not have been speaking on behalf of both Ivy _and_ himself.

“I can’t imagine wanting to leave this sweet thing,” Rick said as Ivy tried to walk while keeping her eyes on Rick’s eyes.

“Well she farts,” Daryl blurted out. “I swear to God they don’t smell, but they pop out of her all day long. She’s also a humper. She’s a cross-eyed, farting, humper,” Daryl said straight faced. “Take her or leave her. Like it or not.”

“She’s lucky she’s so cute, then, huh?” Rick said as a tiny little toot popped out of the dog.

“I think I could deal with all that to get such a sweet, gentle baby,” Rick coo’d as he sat right on the grass and started playing with Ivy. “But here’s the important question. Does Eye like her?”

Daryl looked over and saw that Eye had followed them all the way out to the dog yard. “I think Eye likes _you_ ,” Daryl said as he and Ivy watched Eye rub himself against Rick’s back. 

“The feeling is mutual,” Rick responded, eyes on Daryl’s several beats too long as he had one hand petting the cat, and the other petting the dog. 

“I think I’m in love. I’ll take her,” Rick said.

As if Ivy could understand, she climbed into Rick’s lap and rolled over to expose her belly, wiggling with joy at the belly rubs she got. 

Once they were back inside signing the paperwork, Ivy on a leash by Rick’s side, Tara walked through. “Oohhh Yay! Ivy gets a new home!” She bent down and kissed Ivy’s snout. Just as quickly as she appeared she disappeared. He was surprised Tara hadn’t stayed there staring daggers into his skull in an attempt to make him ask the cop out on a date. 

The paperwork was done. Eye was sitting on the counter, and Ivy was sitting on the floor wagging her tail and gazing up at her new owner.

“Look,” Rick said as he leaned on the counter. “I’m kinda new at this. Never asked a guy out before so maybe you could do me a favor and ask me first.”

Daryl put a hand over his own crooked smile, trying not to act like a 15-year-old who just found out a crush liked him back. But in an attempt to seem more manly and less high school he narrowed his eyes and asked. “What makes you think I’m gay?”

“Watched you leave the polling place the other week. Saw the bumper sticker on your car,” Rick said smiling. 

“Which one? The rainbow or the one that says _I’m so gay I can’t even drive straight_?”

“Both. And the one that was a profile of a Dachshund that said “Real men like wieners.”

“Well, Rick. Now that I know you’re gay and that you aren’t prejudiced against cross-eyed farting humpers, cause not-gonna-lie- Ivy and I have a few things in common, and I don’t mean the eyes, I wonder if you’d like to join me for a walk in the park tomorrow evening. Ivy can come and we can have dinner at the picnic tables by the food trucks.”

Rick grinned ear to ear. It was the most beautiful smile Daryl had ever seen and it literally lightened up the room like clouds finally passing by the sun after days of gloom.

Rick pointed to the adoption form that still lay on the counter. “My number’s right there. Text me a time and place.” He pet Eye one last time and he and Ivy left the shelter. 

He did it! He had a date with the man of his dreams! Asking men out had never been his strong suit. Hell, Tara had been his best friend since High School and it usually took her giving him hours of pep talk before Daryl would get the nerve to be so bold as to actually ask someone out. As he started entering Rick’s phone number into his cell, the bell above the door jingled again and Rick and Ivy came back through, Rick with a piece of paper in his hand. “Found this on my car window. Can you thank Tara for me?” Rick said with a wink and he left before Daryl got a chance to look down and read it.

_Rick. Tara here. If you’ve left the building and Daryl hasn’t asked you out, please return promptly and ask him out. He’s a man-child with no self-confidence and very little game, but don’t hold that against him. Otherwise he’s a great guy. Don’t miss out on a chance at a beautiful romance because Daryl’s a chickenshit. P.S. Ivy likes belly rubs and peanut butter. Actually, I think Daryl does, too. ___

__Daryl could feel the heat of embarrassment warm his cheeks as he shook his head and tried not to smile._ _

__He opened his phone and texted Rick so the other man would have his number as well._ _

__“For what it’s worth…I actually _don’t_ like peanut butter. She’s right about the belly rubs though.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> So my new little rescue dog Ivy (exactly as advertised in the story) has been taking up a lot of my time. But never fear, I'm still a rickyl writer at heart. I've pulled out an old Rick/Daryl mental hospital fic I've been playing with for years and am working on finally finishing that one. So I'm not done writing yet!


End file.
